From enrolling a history-making first-year class to addressing key health-care issues – including COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s disease; from making a positive difference through community outreach efforts to earning the ranking as the nation’s fastest-rising university, 2021 has been a memorable year across USF’s three campuses.
IN-PERSON CLASSES, EVENTS RESUME; COVID-19 OUTREACH, RESEARCH REMAIN PRIORITIES
With COVID-19 vaccines and mitigation efforts having a positive impact, USF returned to pre-pandemic operations with the late June start of summer school, the first time since March 2020 that faculty, staff and students were able to participate in in-person classes and events. Those events included the first traditional commencement ceremony at the Yuengling Center since December 2019. The availability of vaccines and the university community’s commitment to following COVID-19 guidelines kept case counts low across USF’s campuses throughout the fall semester. And the cohort of first-year students that USF welcomed in fall 2021 was historic: It was the largest, most academically accomplished and diverse cohort in USF history. The group of 6,392 first-year students included record increases in out-of-state and international students.
As coronavirus vaccines became more widely available, USF faculty and staff worked throughout the year to educate communities of color about COVID-19 and the benefits of the vaccine. A USF Health program, Workgroup Enhancing Community Advocacy and Research Engagement (WE-CARE), joined forces with the Tampa-based organization ReachUP, Inc. to share facts about COVID-19 and the vaccines. Webinars hosted by Kevin Sneed, dean of the Taneja College of Pharmacy, and Angela Hill, associate dean of clinical affairs, have been designed to provide community leaders with trustworthy resources and the tools they need to inform larger groups about the importance of getting vaccinated.
Additionally, after years of research with refugee and immigrant communities, USF faculty members pivoted their efforts to ensure that Tampa’s hard-to-reach populations have accurate information and access to free COVID-19 vaccinations. Faculty from the Department of Anthropology partnered with USF Health physicians and several community leaders to coordinate home visits and community-based vaccination events.
Researchers have continued important work to address many other issues related to the pandemic. Among the efforts: New technology could be the key to safely reusing disposable face masks. USF researchers have figured out a way to rapidly disinfect and electrostatically recharge N95 respirators, recovering their original filtration efficiency and protection capability against COVID-19 and other airborne diseases. The patent-pending sterilization technology could restore an N95 respirator’s original filtration efficiency of about 95 percent, even after 15 cycles of treatment. The researchers are from USF’s departments of Mechanical Engineering and Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Microbiology.
Also, biomedical engineering students developed a prototype device that may help solve the critical shortage of lifesaving ventilators seen around the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Eucovent is a patent-pending device that allows two patients to be ventilated by a single machine. The students built the device as part of their biomedical engineering degree senior design project. While there are existing devices capable of “splitting” airflow to multiple patients, most available solutions do not offer any type of customization. This is particularly problematic as patients require different volumes of airflow depending on their lung compliance and body weight, among other factors.
RHEA F. LAW NAMED INTERIM PRESIDENT
Alumna Rhea F. Law was unanimously appointed as interim president by the USF Board of Trustees (BOT) in August following Steven Currall’s retirement from the position. The appointment was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors in September, with Chair Syd Kitson saying Law’s intimate knowledge of the university “will make her a strong and effective leader and advocate for the university.” Law is one of the founding members of the BOT, where she spent five years as vice chair and four years as the first and only female chair, contributing significantly to USF’s growth and evolution as a Research 1 public university. Law will not be a candidate for the permanent president position. The BOT established a 15-member presidential search committee, with the firm of SP&A Executive Search supporting the process.
U.S. NEWS RANKS USF AS NATION’S FASTEST-RISING UNIVERSITY
USF is the fastest-rising university in America over the past decade, public or private,
according to U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News) 2022 Best Colleges rankings. For the third consecutive year, USF ranks as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities.
Over the past 10 years, USF has risen 48 spots among public universities from No.
94 to No. 46, and 67 spots among all universities (public or private), from No. 170
to No. 103, which represents a greater climb than any other university in the country.
The U.S. News methodology combines a host of factors, including student graduation
and retention rates, class size, student debt, faculty resources and academic reputation.
USF’s ranking includes performance across all three campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg
and Sarasota-Manatee.
Report details university’s $6.02 billion economic impact across Florida
USF generates an annual economic impact of $6.02 billion, according to a new report that analyzes the university’s role in serving as a catalyst for growth in the Tampa Bay region and state of Florida. The study provides an in-depth look in real-dollar terms at USF’s impact across the full scope of the university. Among the key takeaways, which are based on fiscal year 2019-20 data: USF produces a total economic output of $6.02 billion; every $1 of state funding invested in USF helps generate more than $14 in economic output; USF-related direct spending, together with ripple effects, supports 68,704 jobs in Florida -- and. importantly, many of the jobs supported by USF are in high-skill, high-wage, knowledge-based industries. The study was compiled by a team of faculty and students from the Muma College of Business,
Campus Stadium Planning Committee exploring options
Discussions about building an on-campus football stadium ramped up in the fall after USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford announced his vision for moving ahead with the transformational project in September. Michael Kelly, vice president of Athletics, and Jay Stroman, senior vice president of Advancement & Alumni Affairs and CEO of the USF Foundation, are leading a Campus Stadium Planning Committee, which is meeting regularly. The committee is evaluating five possible locations. Also under discussion is when a new stadium will open. While there are several variables to consider, Kelly has said that the 2026 football season is a consideration, but the start of the 2027 season may be a more realistic goal.
Weatherford elected BOT chair; Wilcox, Tadlock plan return to faculty
Will Weatherford was elected chair of the USF Board of Trustees following his unanimous selection by board members. His two-year term began July 1. Weatherford is managing partner of Weatherford Capital and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He is a member of the Florida Council of 100, Florida Chamber of Commerce and Jacksonville University Board of Trustees, and recently served as co-chairman of the Super Bowl LV Host Committee.
Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Wilcox announced plans to step down from the role in 2022 to spend more time with his family. He has been with USF for 20 years and served as provost since 2008. Wilcox will leave after a highly accomplished tenure that has resulted in USF’s academic enterprise earning widespread recognition across the state and nation and internationally. The search for a new provost will begin in the spring with the goal of selecting Wilcox’s successor shortly after a new university president is hired. Wilcox will remain as provost and assist in the transition for as long as is needed, and then will return to the faculty.
Also underway is the search for the next regional chancellor of the USF St. Petersburg campus. President Law appointed a search committee earlier this month that includes university representatives and members of the St. Petersburg community. SP&A Executive Search will assist in the process. Current Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock plans to step down from the position in June 2022 to return to the faculty and spend more time with family. He was appointed to the position in 2018 after serving as interim chancellor since September 2017. He previously served as St. Petersburg campus regional vice chancellor for academic affairs.
INITIATIVES PROMOTE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION
The College of Education this fall welcomed its first group of students who have committed to becoming teachers at schools in Pinellas County. The students are the first cohort for USF’s Call Me MISTER program, which stands for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models, and aims to increase the number of male teachers of color in elementary schools with large populations of poor or at-risk students. USF’s St. Petersburg campus partnered with Pinellas County Schools to identify prospective applicants. USF is the only Florida university to hold a license for the Call Me MISTER program. Students enrolled in the program receive tuition assistance for approved areas of study and various other forms of support. In exchange, graduates agree to teach in urban or low-income elementary school classrooms – at least one year for every year they receive assistance from the program.
The Institute of Black Life & Student Success Student Lounge, a dedicated space on the third floor of the Marshall Student Center on the Tampa campus, opened this fall. The space is the result of a request and input by student members of the Black Student Union as to the value of an affinity space to support the Black community at USF, especially for healing following the racial incidents of recent years. The university’s Institute on Black Life and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, a department of Student Success, collaborated with numerous partners to realize the students’ request. The new lounge is designed to be an inviting social and academic center where students, faculty and staff from all cultural groups can learn more about contemporary Black experiences and scholarship. It will host workshops, talks and experiential learning.
A new task force at USF will build on the university’s commitment to Latino student access and success. The 15-member Advancing Latino Access and Success (ALAS) Task Force includes leaders from across USF and Tampa Bay and will focus on developing strategies to increase enrollment and degree completion rates while identifying challenges and opportunities unique to Latino students. USF has been nationally recognized for its success in eliminating or narrowing achievement gaps by race and ethnicity, including among Latino students. Currently, more than 22 percent of USF undergraduates identify as Latino, and that percentage is expected to climb.
The inaugural cohort of the Construction Management Building Blocks mentor-protégé program graduated after completing eight weeks of training with industry professionals from USF and Skanska, a multinational construction and development company. The program was launched to assist small and diverse subcontractors in the Tampa Bay region to grow and become more successful in the construction industry and with competitive bidding processes. The program was facilitated through the USF Office of Supplier Diversity.
A national network for historical Black cemeteries is raising awareness about the history and present condition of such sacred places to ensure what remains is preserved. The Black Cemetery Network consists of a virtual archive and map of historical Black cemetery sites, a research portal and a news and advocacy hub. The network and website are designed not only to provide valuable information to educate the public and further research endeavors, but also to link community members from across the country working to uncover and protect this history. In addition, USF faculty, staff and graduate students from a variety of fields are working on the African American Burial Grounds & Remembering Project. This USF-funded project focuses on identifying and preserving Black cemeteries in Tampa Bay.
A collaborative effort between USF’s Muma College of Business, Jabil and the Tampa Bay Lightning helped tens of thousands of people around the nation and the world learn critical skills designed to enhance diversity in the workplace and create a sustainable business model that embraces equity and inclusion. More than 135,000 people from the U.S. and 14 other countries signed up for the free online certificate program, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace.” The seven-week course had a 50 percent completion rate.
Eight students were selected as the inaugural cohort of Racial Justice Student Fellows by a consortium of higher education institutions focused on racial justice in Pinellas County. The St. Pete/Pinellas Higher Education for Race Equity (SPHERE) consortium chose two students each from four Pinellas County universities and colleges for the year-long fellowship. Each student will receive up to $2,000 during the 2021-2022 academic year. SPHERE is a joint initiative among Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, Stetson University College of Law, USF St. Petersburg campus and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg.
RESEARCHERS PURSUE SOLUTIONS TO CRITICAL ISSUES
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded USF total expected funds of $44.4 million over the next five years to study whether computerized brain training exercises can
reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementias like Alzheimer’s disease
in older adults. The grant expands USF’s Preventing Alzheimer’s with Cognitive Training (PACT) study. PACT will be the largest primary prevention trial to date designed to rigorously
test the effectiveness of computer-based training to protect against mild cognitive
impairment and dementias.
The NIH also awarded the university total expected funds of $69.9 million over the next four years to continue the follow-up of study participants in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in The Young (TEDDY) consortium. TEDDY is the largest multicenter prospective study of young children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. The new grant also supports a second case control study, building upon earlier TEDDY analyses examining how genetic factors and environmental exposures such as infectious agents, diet and psychosocial stress affect type 1 diabetes development in high-risk children.
USF launched an interdisciplinary center dedicated to serving Tampa Bay as the major training and knowledge hub for issues related to social and criminal justice. The Center for Justice Research & Policy unites scholars and practitioners from colleges across USF’s three campuses, area law enforcement agencies and community advocates. Together, they provide learning opportunities for students, collaborative community-engaged research and actionable, evidence-based solutions to address some of the justice system’s greatest challenges.
For the ninth consecutive year, USF inventors were among the most prolific producers of U.S. patents at universities worldwide, securing an institutional record 123 patents in 2020. The tally placed USF at eighth among American public research universities and 15th among more than 1,000 universities worldwide in generating new, novel and useful inventions granted intellectual property protection from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Since the first rankings were published in 2013, USF has been among the top 10 U.S. public universities and top 20 universities worldwide.
The Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Research Lab, which opened in September on the USF St. Petersburg campus, is one of the first research centers dedicated to studying the myriad impacts of sexual exploitation of children in Florida. The research lab helps stakeholders, including non-profit groups, legislators and law enforcement agencies, by providing accurate data and resources about victims of human trafficking. USF faculty members have started projects that are bridging information gaps in human trafficking, which helps organizations locate and access services quickly and efficiently.
Researchers from the College of Marine Science helped lead the response to the March failure of the lining in the Piney Point “gypstack,” the retired fertilizer processing plant in Manatee County. The event required the release of 215 million gallons of nutrient-laden wastewater into Tampa Bay. Between early April and late June, USF conducted five research cruise efforts in response to the spill involving three field research teams.
CONSTRUCTION CRANES MARK CHANGING FACE OF TAMPA CAMPUS
A three-story, 47,000-square-foot Student Wellness Center is under construction on the Tampa campus. The new facility will be nearly four times larger than the current Student Health Services building and will allow USF to provide better care for students by bringing more services together under one roof. Located next to the Recreation & Wellness Center, the new facility will deliver general medical, urgent care and specialty services, including sexual health and gynecology, physical therapy, dermatology, immunizations, psychiatry and behavioral health, nutrition and travel medicine. Ancillary services will include phlebotomy, point-of-collection laboratory services and a pharmacy. Student Health Services’ business operations and case managers will also be housed in the new building. Construction is expected to be complete in fall 2022.
Also this year, USF broke ground for a $22 million Indoor Performance Facility (IPF). Plans call for the facility to open prior to next fall's sports season, when USF's football team and all other sports can enjoy climate-controlled training and protection from Florida's fickle weather elements. The 88,000-square-foot IPF, being built on the current athletics turf field adjacent to Sycamore Drive, will encapsulate a 100-yard turf football field, be climate controlled and have a branded lobby and observation deck. More than 400 donors contributed $25 million to build the facility, the highest total for any fundraising project in USF’s 55-year athletic history.
Progress also continued throughout 2021 on two major additions to the Tampa campus. A state-of-the-art facility in the USF Research Park, located at the northeast corner of Spectrum Boulevard and Fowler Avenue, is nearing completion, with a projected opening in March 2022. The three-story, 120,000-square-foot building will bring together researchers, patent officers, entrepreneurs, financial investors and corporations to enhance technology commercialization and the Tampa Bay region’s growing innovation and knowledge economy. Meanwhile, completion of the Judy Genshaft Honors College is anticipated in spring 2023. The five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility will feature an outdoor amphitheater and multiple flexible spaces with advanced technology to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
A BANNER YEAR FOR THE SARASOTA-MANATEE CAMPUS
Brunch on the Bay, one of the most popular social events of the season, made a big splash on its return to the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus in early November. The campus’ signature fundraising event for scholarships set a record, raising $500,000. That exceeds the amount raised in 2019 when the annual event was last held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Set on the campus’ scenic grounds, the two-hour gala hosted about 600 guests. Since the first Brunch in 1994, the event has hosted more than 23,000 attendees whose contributions have provided for more than 2,000 student scholarships.
Denise Davis-Cotton, director of USF’s Center for Partnerships in Arts Integrated Teaching (PAInT), was named principal investigator of a five-year, $8.5 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen arts educational programming in the nation’s educational system. Titled “Race, Equity, Arts and Cultural History (REACH),” the project seeks to establish a national, replicable model to strengthen arts learning in U.S. schools and harness the effectiveness of arts integration as a catalyst for increasing student engagement and achievement across multiple content areas. This is the largest grant award ever for the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
Additional top stories from the USF St. Petersburg campus can be viewed here.